


Moments of Love

by snarky_saxophonist



Category: Baseball RPF
Genre: But if you don't want to see that it's really easy to avoid, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, For the record the rating is only for one of the mini fics, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, The rest are not explicit in the slightest, these are short fics of different types of kisses so you can skip that one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2019-01-28 00:39:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12594148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarky_saxophonist/pseuds/snarky_saxophonist
Summary: 18 different kiss prompts, as short Bryzzo fics.





	Moments of Love

**Author's Note:**

> #4 is pretty much just smut, but the rest of them are free of sex. A lot of them deal with minor injuries, but there's a lot of fluff and Bryzzo cuteness.
> 
> If you are one of the people in the tags or know them personally, please click away now. This is intended for fun and enjoyment, not to be anything real or reflecting real life.

1\. In the rain

It's pouring at Fenway Park, but Anthony doesn't mind rain half as much as he had before Game 7. Being back in Boston brings back memories – good ones, of feeling like maybe he would actually make it to the big leagues, and of course the awful ones of walking through the clubhouse for the first time as a sick eighteen-year-old, convinced that his life was over. The ancient stadium is deserted now, the game having ended hours before and most of the players already out in the city or at the hotel. Anthony had ducked out of the locker room, wanting a minute to clear his mind. The field had seemed to call to him, with the usual sacredness of a baseball field amplified by the cleansing rain.

"Hey, you," a familiar voice interrupts his musings. "You okay?" 

"Yeah, I'm good," Anthony turns to smile at Kris, wiping the rain from his eyes. 

"You seemed a little off today," Kris says lightly, his blue eyes searching Anthony's face.

"Just thinking about when I was here for the first time," Anthony says, meeting Kris's eyes.

"When you were sick?" Kris asks quietly.

"Yeah," Anthony stares up at the clouds, smiling faintly when Kris reaches out to squeeze his hand. "It felt like everything was collapsing around me then, and now..." He looks back at Kris, a real smile crossing his features. "I'm not sick anymore, I'm a World Series champion, I have an amazing boyfriend, and I don't think I could change anything to be happier than I am now."

"You're such a sap," Kris says, but his own eyes are suspiciously bright.

"And you're not?" Anthony steps forward, wiping at some of the water on Kris's cheek. "Are these tears or rain?" He asks teasingly.

"Rain, you jerk," Kris laughs. "Remind me why I love you again?"

"Cause I'm the best," Anthony says cheekily, leaning in to press his lips against Kris's. Kris's face is wet with rain, and Anthony can feel his hair and clothes getting soaked, but Kris's lips and tongue on his keep him from feeling the cold.

 

2\. In the house they just bought

"I can't believe we actually did this," Kris says as the door closes behind the real estate agent, leaving them alone in their new house.

"It's not like we don't have the money for it," Anthony points out with a grin. "And we've been together for two years now. Why? Do you think it's too soon?" Anthony suddenly looks concerned, a flicker of vulnerability crossing his features. 

Kris shakes his head, leaning in to press a sweet, gentle kiss to Anthony's lips. "Absolutely not," he murmurs against his boyfriend's lips. "Now we don't have to worry about bothering our neighbors if we're too loud, or weird Mr. Jackson banging on our door, or Emilia interrupting us by vacuuming her floor at all hours... I'm just wondering why we didn't do this before."

Anthony pulls Kris against him, kissing him again, harder this time. "I think we need to test the theory of loud noises not bothering our neighbors, don't you?" 

Kris's answering kiss is a very enthusiastic yes.

 

3\. On the nose

"Lazing around, eh Bryant?" Anthony teases his boyfriend when he finds him lying on the beach. "I thought we were taking a brief break from our run, not lying down on the job."

"I am taking a break," Kris groans, sitting up and rubbing at the ankle that's been bothering him for a few weeks. "It's just a break of the lying down variety."

"Well, you know what that means," Anthony grins, ignoring his worry over Kris's nagging ankle issues. 

"No-" Kris's eyes widen and he scoots backwards in alarm, but he can't get out of the way of Anthony's tackle. Anthony pins him on the sand, tickling him ruthlessly. "Mercy, mercy," Kris gasps out between laughs, trying to wiggle free from Anthony. 

"Love you," Anthony grins, finally stopping his assault to lean down and kiss Kris's nose before hopping back up. He offers Kris a hand up, but Kris uses it to pull Anthony back down to the ground with him, quickly sitting on top of him. "Hey!" Anthony protests, but Kris just grins and gives him a kiss on the nose in return. 

 

4\. Against a wall

"I love not having to worry about neighbors and thin walls anymore," Kris grins filthily as he strips Anthony's boxers off. Anthony can barely wait for the last of his clothes to be off before slamming Kris against the wall, kissing him hard. Kris gasps into the kiss, fingers scrabbling at Anthony's back as Anthony deepens the kiss.

"Kris-" Anthony breaks the kiss off, breathing heavily. "Can I fuck you? Against the wall?"

"Would I ever say no?" Kris asks, blue eyes dark with lust.

"Just checking," Anthony says, reaching for the lube that's sitting on the table next to him. He slicks up his fingers, slowly getting one in to start working Kris open. Kris loves getting fingered, has come on just Anthony's fingers countless times, but Anthony wants to actually fuck him this time. His cock is aching already at the sight of Kris, gasping for breath as Anthony gets his second finger in and starts scissoring gently. 

"Rizz... Please..." Kris says breathlessly, rocking his hips in an attempt to get his fingers deeper. Rizzo brushes his fingers ever so lightly over Kris's prostate, drawing a breathy moan out of him. 

"Ready for another one?" Anthony asks, pouring a little more lube on his hand. 

"Yes, please, yes," Kris whines, hitching his legs around Anthony so they can get a better angle. Anthony presses his third finger in, careful to watch Kris's face to make sure he's not going too fast. Kris's features are awash in pleasure though, not pain, so Anthony continues stretching him, trying to ignore his own building arousal. 

"I'm ready now, you can fuck me," Kris says breathlessly, nearly clawing at Anthony's back. Anthony pulls his fingers out and lubes himself up, pushing slowly into Kris's slick hole. He leans forward to kiss him as he does so, feeling Kris pressed up against every part of him. Even with his stretching, Kris is tight around him, so Anthony goes slowly, waiting for Kris's go ahead. 

"Move, move," Kris manages, rocking his hips as he reaches down to wrap a hand around his own dick. Anthony is quick to oblige, pressing Kris harder against the wall as he sets a fast pace. Kris's head tips back, eyes blown wide as Anthony nails his prostate with each hard thrust. Looking at his wrecked expression, Anthony feels a wave of love wash over him. He's the only one who gets to see Kris like this, wanting and needy and beautiful. 

"I'm close," Kris warns him, jerking himself in time with Anthony's thrusts. Anthony's only response is to fuck him harder, drawing a long moan from Kris as he spills over his hand and stomach. Kris tightens around him as he comes, sending Anthony over the edge. He gives one last thrust, burying himself in Kris as he comes hard. He pulls out slowly, knowing how oversensitive Kris is after he comes. Kris sags against the wall, breathing heavily.

"You good?" Anthony asks, trying to get his own breathing under control. 

"Better than good," Kris smiles, leaning forward to kiss him again.

 

5\. Before going to sleep

They've just finished up a three city road trip, and Anthony has never been happier to collapse into bed. They played well on the trip, but the constant playing and changing time zones always leaves him completely drained. 

"How's your wrist?" Kris asks, coming into the room brandishing an ice pack.

"Better, but still kinda sore," Anthony gratefully takes the ice, the cold working quickly to soothe the bruise an errant pitch had left. "You got anything nagging at you?"

"Just minor aches," Kris shrugs. "Nothing a good night's sleep won't cure."

"Good," Anthony says, rolling over to face Kris as he climbs into bed. "You have an alarm set?"

"Of course," Kris laughs a little. They both know he's never overslept a day in his life. "I've got us covered, now get some sleep." He pulls Anthony closer to kiss him softly, brushing a callused thumb over his cheek as Anthony's eyes slip closed.

 

6\. To wake them up

During the season, it's a rare occasion when Anthony gets to wake up without the blaring of Kris's alarm. Kris is a stickler for getting up on time, even on their off days. So when it's a soft pair of lips against his own drawing him out of sleep instead of whatever obnoxious song Kris has chosen for the day, Anthony can't help but smile into the kiss.

"Morning, sweetheart," Kris whispers. "Do you want breakfast?"

"Mmm," Anthony replies sleepily. "Can I eat you for breakfast?"

Kris laughs, poking at Anthony's shoulder until he grudgingly opens his eyes. "Real food, buddy. Most important meal of the day."

"Fine," Anthony sighs exaggeratedly, hauling himself out of bed. Maybe if he helps Kris with breakfast he'll get to distract his boyfriend with more kissing.

 

7\. French

"Rizz, what were you doing that you wouldn't let me into the kitchen?" Kris asks when Anthony finally lets him in, but stops dead when he sees the candlelit dinner spread out on their table.

"Do you like it?" Anthony asks, a hint of nervousness coloring his tone.

"I love it," Kris smiles, wrapping an arm around him and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I have the sweetest boyfriend ever."

It's not the best food, because Anthony can't cook as well as his mother, but it's a decent approximation of his favorite Italian meal as a child. Kris, of course, is his usual complimentary self, thanking Anthony repeatedly for setting up the whole thing. 

"I can't cook half as well as you, but I think I can offer you a little something in return for all this," Kris says after they've cleaned up, his eyes twinkling.

"Oh?" Anthony says, feeling his arousal grow just at the look in Kris's eyes. 

"I bet I could think of a few things," Kris grins, stepping in close and sliding his hands up under Anthony's shirt. He leans forward to capture Anthony's lips in a bruising kiss, slipping his tongue in as he deepens the kiss. Anthony moans into the kiss, melting against his boyfriend as they kiss.

 

8\. On their forehead 

"How are you doing, Rizz?" Kris asks, fussing over Anthony's injured ankle.

"I'm more pissed than anything," Anthony says sourly, glaring at the wall across from him. "I hate missing time."

"Join the club," Kris says, patting Anthony's foot as he finishes arranging the ice on his ankle. "It'll only be a couple days at maximum, though."

"Not like I'll be much help to the team even when I'm back," Anthony grouses. 

Kris perches on the edge of the bed, putting his hand on Anthony's leg. "Don't be silly, Rizz. It's only one bad game, everyone has them. And hey, you didn't strike out swinging five times today, and we still won."

"No, just three times," Anthony mutters. "And if I hadn't fucked up in the ninth, we might've been able to save our bullpen."

"Kyle went eight, so it's not like they had to eat all that many innings," Kris shrugs. Kyle had given up one unearned run over his eight innings of work, and the Cubs had managed to tie it at one in the bottom of the ninth. Anthony's hit would've scored Kris from second as the game-winning run, but Anthony had rolled his ankle trying to get out of the box and had gotten thrown out as he'd tried to hobble to first. “A win is a win.”

“Doesn’t feel like one,” Anthony sighs. “I hate being responsible for not winning the game in the ninth, or earlier. If I’d managed to get a hit earlier, we wouldn’t have had to-“

“You’ve told me many times not to dwell on how things would play out if something had gone differently,” Kris reminds him gently. “Tomorrow’s a new day, and you’ll get the chance to redeem yourself as soon as you’re playing again. Nobody’s going to hold this against you, and you shouldn’t either.”

“I guess,” Anthony sighs again. “You’ll have to cover for me until I’m back.”

“Not a problem,” Kris smiles, leaning down to kiss Anthony on the forehead. “Get some sleep, honey. You’ll feel better tomorrow.”

 

9\. On the cheek

“You’re the best, Rizz,” Kris says, looping an arm around him in a quick hug as they walk off the field. “I think Lackey might’ve killed me if I cost him the win today.”

“Nah,” Anthony dismisses it, but then looks back at Lackey’s scowl behind them. “Well, maybe,” he amends. “But I saved your ass, so it’s a moot point.”

Kris’s error in the seventh had led to an unearned run, the only one in the game until Rizzo’s walk-off homer in the ninth. Lackey had been pissed as hell at that potentially spoiling his eight innings of three hit, no earned run ball. 

“I’ll get you back the next time you make an error,” Kris assures him. “Actually, wait, that may be a little difficult, considering your defensive record over the past season or twelve.”

“Haven’t played twelve seasons yet, KB,” Anthony grins. “But I agree, maybe you should give me something in return for this, don’t you think?”

“I think I could come up with something,” Kris says with a sly smile, and Anthony is suddenly very glad for his protective cup also shielding him from sporting an awkward boner on television. 

“Kris!” Anthony hisses, trying to glare at him.

“What?” Kris asks innocently, blinking his too-blue eyes at Anthony. “I was thinking I could take you out for dinner and a movie, or maybe we could pretend to be sophisticated and go to the theater.”

“Yeah, sure,” Anthony mutters sarcastically. “That’s totally what you were implying there.”

“Absolutely,” Kris says, giving him his puppy dog eyes. “What else would I be implying?”

“You’re a jerk,” Anthony says, elbowing Kris gently in the ribs as they make their way into the tunnel.

“Yeah, but you love me anyways,” Kris says, wrapping an arm around Anthony and leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. 

“God help me, I do,” Anthony says with a smile, reaching up to pull Kris into a real kiss. 

“Hey, I’m amazing,” Kris protests. “I’m way out of your league.”

“Who made the error today, and who hit the walk-off home run?” Anthony asks, poking Kris in the ribs.

Kris rolls his eyes, but kisses Anthony on the cheek again. “I’ve hit my own share of walk-offs.”

“How about we agree that we’re both in the major leagues because we’re both hot and awesome?” Anthony leans his head on Kris’s shoulder.

“I think that sounds like a good plan,” Kris smiles.

 

10\. Out of happiness

"We did it, Kris," Anthony says to Kris when they stop by the clubhouse before heading out on their celebratory World Series parade. "We actually did it."

"Did what? Showed up at Wrigley Field?" Kris teases, bumping a hip into Anthony's.

"Won the World Series, you ass," Anthony says, hip bumping him right back.

"Oh, that," Kris laughs, flicking a hand dismissively. "It only took me two seasons for that, what's the big deal?"

"You know, if you're going to have that attitude, I'm not sure that you deserve your World Series ring..." Anthony muses. "I'm sure some Cubs fan who waited longer and appreciates this win more would like it."

"Yeah, but it would look better on me than on a random Cubs fan," Kris says.

"I don't know..." Anthony makes a face. "You make some pretty stupid-looking faces when you're playing."

"You're calling me out on looking stupid with that expression?" Kris laughs. "I don't think that's really going to work out so well for you, babe."

"Wow, harsh," Anthony pretends to be offended, leaning away from Kris. 

"You're the one who called me stupid looking in the first place," Kris points out.

"Yeah, well, your...eyes are too blue," Anthony says lamely, trying and failing to come up with a legitimate insult. 

"I seem to recall you going on and on about how beautiful you find my eyes, on multiple occasions," Kris laughs, leaning against Anthony. 

"You're impossible to insult," Anthony complains, wrapping an arm around Kris to pull him closer. "You're too perfect in every way."

"I disagree," Kris says. "If anybody is too perfect in this relationship, it's certainly not me."

"Awww," Javy says as he walks past them. "You are adorable."

"Are they doing something fine-worthy?" CJ yells across the room. 

"Yes," Javy gestures at the two of them. “They’re talking about how perfect the other is.”

"No, no," Lester says, putting an arm out to stop CJ from going across the room. "No fines right after winning the World Series!"

"Really?" Anthony asks. "Sweet!" He turns Kris around and kisses him deeply, prompting whistles and catcalls from across the room. 

"Hey," Kris protests weakly when they stop kissing. "Is that really necessary?"

"You don't want to kiss me?" Anthony pouts. "And here I thought you loved me..."

"I don't think the entire team needs to see the evidence of that," Kris mutters, turning to face their teammates when a round of laughter breaks out. "What?"

"Kris, we can see the evidence every time you two so much as look at each other," Lester says, shaking his head fondly. 

"We're not that obvious," Anthony protests.

"Yeah, you kind of are," CJ says. "It's adorable, but you two are not exactly subtle."

"Oh well," Anthony shrugs, pulling Kris back in to thoroughly kiss him again. "I think we'll be taking significant advantage of the temporary fine ban."

 

11\. Drunk

"Can you believe we fucking did it?" Anthony asks Kris, leaning tiredly against his shoulder. Game 7 was exhausting, and the party in the clubhouse had lasted hours. Finally showering and washing the sweat and champagne off had felt great, but the second he'd stepped out he'd been ready to fall asleep. 

"I can, actually," Kris smiles, somehow looking still awake. "It seems fitting, you getting the final out."

"From your throw," Anthony reminds him, smiling involuntarily at the memory. Not that it had made him smile at the time when he'd seen Kris slip on the wet grass and his throw start to go high, but it had all worked out. "I'm so tired."

"That's probably because you drank like five bottles of champagne after playing a long and stressful baseball game," Kris says, smiling fondly at him. 

"Oh. Maybe." Anthony nods, pulling Kris around so he can lean against his chest. Kris looks so happy, his bright eyes alight with joy and his smile seeming permanent. Before Anthony has time to think it through, he's leaning forward to press his lips against Kris's in a sloppy kiss. Kris stiffens briefly in surprise, but doesn't pull away, instead deepening the kiss.

"What - was that just a drunk celebration kiss?" He asks bluntly, still with an arm around Anthony after they stop kissing.

"No," Anthony says, drunk and open. "I think I love you."

"Oh," Kris says, megawatt smile back on his face. "That's good, because I think I love you too."

 

12\. Because you missed them

"Hey, look who's back!" Javy yells as Anthony is about to head to the weight room in the morning before their game. He glances behind him to see who had excited Javy, doing a double take when he sees Kris. Kris was supposed to be on the final day of a rehab assignment in Tennessee, recovering from a badly sprained ankle.

"I thought you weren't supposed to be back until tomorrow?" Lester asks, heading over to wrap Kris in a bear hug.

"I wasn't, but Hoyer called me this morning and asked if I felt ready to be back yet. I said yes, he said the trainers had signed off and to get on a plane to Detroit, so here I am," Kris says with a smile.

"Well, it's good to have you back. Do you know if you're starting today?" Lester asks.

"Yeah, but I'm DHing, just to be on the safe side," Kris says. "Dunno anything else about today's lineup, that's all Hoyer told me."

"Well, I for one am glad to have your bat here to back me up today," Lester says. "Willson, you ready to go over our game plan?"

"Yes," Willson says, tossing his phone in his locker. "Good to have you back, KB."

"Good to be back," Kris says, returning his nod. "Javy, it looks like I'll have to be careful to not miss time from now on - you seem to have been trying to Wally Pipp me."

"Nah, of course not," Javy grins, slapping Kris on the back as he walks over to them. "I want my shortstop job back, so stop being DH quickly, okay?"

"I'm not too concerned about them trading me at the moment, so I'll only be DH for a maximum of two more days," Kris points out. "But yeah, I think the plan is for me to go back to third tomorrow."

"Good," Javy says. "I'll let you two have some alone time now, but I'm glad you're back."

Kris watches him leave, then turns to Anthony with a teasing smile. "So, it seems like everybody's missed me but you. What gives, Rizz?"

"Fuck, I'm so glad you're back," Anthony says, reaching out to pull Kris into his arms, kissing him deeply. He feels Kris smile against his lips, body fitting perfectly against his like they were made to be together. The last bit of tension that's been weighing on Anthony since he watched Kris go down on the field two weeks ago finally dissipates.

"That's more the welcome I was looking for," Kris says when they finally break apart. "I missed you."

"It sucked not having you with us," Anthony agrees, reaching up to give Kris another kiss, a quick one this time. "What do you say we hit the gym, see how much better I am than you after you were slacking off?" 

"You're on," Kris grins, tangling his fingers in Anthony's and practically pulling him out of the locker room.

 

13\. To comfort them

By definition, Anthony counts all wins as a positive thing, but sometimes it's hard to do. Like when his boyfriend goes sprinting into the wall from his position in left field to make a spectacular catch and ends up on the ground a moment later, clawing at the dirt in agony. That tends to put a little bit of a damper on the win, even if it was a decisive victory over the Cardinals.

Kris isn't in the locker room when they get back, so Anthony detours into the trainer's room to look for him. Sure enough, he's sitting on one of the tables, right arm strapped up in a sling. 

"Congrats on the win," Kris says, smiling at him. Anthony takes in his appearance, noting that despite the sling, his blue eyes are bright and the tight lines of pain from earlier are gone. Anthony allows himself to feel hopeful, because surely Kris wouldn't look so normal if it was a catastrophic injury.

"Thanks," Anthony says. "How's the shoulder? Ten day DL, be back ready to help us clinch the division?" It'll be Kris's first career trip to the DL, but the break might turn out to be good for his production down the stretch.

Kris's face closes off, eyes flickering away from Anthony's. "Sixty."

"Sixty?" Anthony stares at him uncomprehendingly. "Sixty what?"

"Sixty day DL, not ten."

"What?" Anthony says dumbly. "Kris, if you're joking-"

"I'm not joking!" Kris snaps. "My clavicle is broken, and it'll be six to eight weeks before I can pick up a damn bat. I'm done for the season."

It's the end of August, and they're four games back of first and tied with the Pirates for second. There's five weeks left in the regular season, but if they can pull things together and take the division or at least a Wild Card spot, then Kris could come back in October.

"I can see you trying to calculate a Schwarber-type postseason recovery for me," Kris says. "I already asked, it's not going to happen. They think it'll be closer to eight weeks than six, and I won't be able to go right into hitting after two months of recovery from a shoulder injury. I'm done for the year, Rizz."

"Well, almost definitely, but there's still a chance," Anthony insists. "You might heal faster than you think, and if you work as hard on your recovery as you do on everything, then-"

"Get your head out of the fucking clouds," Kris says harshly. "Why is this so hard for you to understand? My collarbone is broken. It will take about eight weeks to heal. Even if it were to take six, it would probably take at least two to build up enough strength and get enough hitting in to actually play baseball. Eight weeks puts us halfway through the World Series. It's not happening."

"Kris-" Anthony starts, frustration boiling up in him. But he looks at Kris again, really looks, and sees the hint of tears in his eyes and the pain he's trying to mask with anger, and all the fight goes out of him. "I'm sorry."

Kris sighs, his anger disappearing too. "It sucks, but everybody gets injured at some point, right? And at least this wasn't a season where we're likely to-"

Kris cuts himself off, but Anthony knows where he was going. "Where we're likely to make the playoffs. We all know, you don't have to say it."

"We're only four games out," Kris offers, but they both know it's a long shot. The Brewers are really good this year, and with their best hitter done for the season, the Cubs don't have much of a chance left. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have tried to make that catch. If I could be out there with you all every day-"

"It was just a shitty accident," Anthony says. "And you wouldn't be you if you didn't go all out on every single play. We all should've been better this season; you've been the only one of us consistently producing. This isn't on you."

"I should be out there fighting with you guys through the rest of the season," Kris says heatedly, trying to gesticulate along with his words. His face drains of color immediately when he tries to move his injured arm, and Anthony reaches forward to help hold him upright and keep him from folding in on himself and causing himself more pain. 

"Breathe, Kris, breathe," Anthony says, rubbing Kris's back as he tries to catch his breath. Kris's breath doesn't even out, however, instead becoming hitched and halting as he tries not to cry. "Hey,” Anthony says gently, tilting Kris's face up to meet his eyes. "It's gonna be okay." He kisses him softly, hoping Kris can take some comfort from his touch.

 

14\. To shut them up

"Fuck, Kris, I'm so fucking sorry," Anthony says as soon as he reaches the locker room and sees Kris sitting there. "I don't know how that happened, I'm so sorry. How are you doing?"

"I'll be good to go day after tomorrow for sure, and maybe even tomorrow," Kris says hoarsely, pulling the ice pack away from his throat to reveal a nasty bruise. Anthony's bat had gone flying out of his hands during his first inning at bat, somehow managing to nail Kris right in the throat. Kris had left the game right after, and Anthony had played terribly, distracted by guilt and worry. 

"I thought I had enough pine tar, I'm sorry," Anthony apologizes again, leaning against Kris's locker. "I-fuck, Kris, I'm so sorry."

"You sound like a broken record, Rizz. I'll be fine," Kris says, waving it off. "Accidents happen, and you do it way less than Addi. Don't sweat it."

Anthony doesn't know how Kris can be so unconcerned about the whole thing, while he had nearly had a heart attack when he saw his bat hit Kris. Kris had gone down hard, clutching at his throat and wheezing, and Anthony had had a moment of wild fear that he'd crushed Kris's throat and he was going to die because Anthony couldn't hold onto his bat. Then Kris had gotten up, attempting to wave off the trainers, and Anthony had been able to breathe again. The trainers had paid Kris no mind, of course, taking him out of the game immediately and leaving Anthony to worry.

"You got hurt because of me," Anthony says miserably. "God, I'm so sorr-" Anthony is cut off by Kris hauling himself up from his chair and leaning in to kiss him. "What?" He asks, blinking in confusion when Kris pulls away.

"Jeez, stop apologizing," Kris says with an affectionate look. "It's fine, really."

"I'm allowed to apologize when-" Anthony finds himself cut off by another kiss. "Hey, I'm trying to talk here!"

"I know, and this seems to be the only effective way to get you to stop," Kris says. "So stop apologizing."

"Should you be doing this with your throat?" Anthony asks anxiously, his eyes drawn back to Kris's swollen neck. "You should be icing, Kris, really."

Kris rolls his eyes, making a show of pressing the ice pack to his throat again. "I get that you were worried, but honestly, I'm okay."

"I know, but I'm still really so-" Anthony groans exaggeratedly as Kris uses a kiss to cut him off again. This time, they're interrupted by a pointed cough from behind them. Anthony turns to see CJ standing there, holding out the fine jar expectantly.

"I appreciate you using the tools at your disposal to get Rizz to be quiet, Kris, and I fully expect you to use that to benefit us all in the future, but this is a massive fine," he says, shaking the jar at them.

"Oh, come on," Anthony grumbles, pulling his wallet out of his locker and throwing a twenty in the jar. "Happy?"

"Ecstatic," CJ deadpans. "KB, you get off on the fine this time under Rule 8, but I'm collecting next time."

"I thought the rules only went up to seven regarding fines," Kris asks, tossing his wallet back in his locker. "Not that I'm complaining."

"Rule 8 is exemption from fines immediately following injury," CJ says. "Normally, not reading the rule book would be another fine, but you get a pass because of-"

"Rule 8," Kris finishes the sentence along with CJ. "I'll have to keep that in mind when I get fined in the future."

"Rule 8, subheading A is that you can't intentionally hurt yourself to get out of a fine," Heyward puts in as he passes them. "Do none of you kids remember the rules?"

"Apparently not," Kris mutters. "I'll read up on them before tomorrow so I don't get fined for that."

"Good man," CJ says, clapping him on the shoulder. "Feel better, KB."

 

15\. Angry

"What the fuck was that?" Anthony yells as soon as the media is far enough out of the locker room. "What the fuck! The fuckass umps think it's fine for the goddamned Twins to throw at our heads? Multiple fucking times! Fuck that!"

Other angry grumbling reaches his ears, but nobody wants to reply directly to Anthony. Nobody except Kris, of course. 

"Fun fact - we just won that game, buddy," he says dryly, leaning against Rizzo's locker. "Save the bellowing for when we lose, yeah?"

"They threw at Javy's head! And yours! Multiple times! And the fucking umps didn't even do anything!" 

"Yeah, but somehow they missed every time, which is honestly even more embarrassing for them," Kris points out. "We're both fine, and we won the game."

"Barely!" Anthony snaps. "That last one missed you by an inch or less!"

Initially, he'd thought that it had gotten Kris. Kris had flung himself out of the path of the ball, ending up on the ground in the process, and Anthony's heart had stopped for a moment. Then he'd grabbed his bat and stood up again and Anthony had remembered how to breathe, but it had been way too close.

"Yeah, but it missed me," Kris says. "That's the important part, hon."

"But the umps didn't even do anything, and it was blatantly intentional," Anthony says, unwilling to let go of his anger just yet.

"Yeah, it was," Kris shrugs. "But that's baseball sometimes."

"Yeah, but-" Anthony is interrupted by the gentle press of lips on his.

"See? Everything's all in working order," Kris says with a smile as he pulls back. Despite himself, Anthony can't help but smile.

 

16\. Crying

"Hey, Kris," Anthony greets his boyfriend as he heads into the kitchen, only to pull up short when he sees Kris’s expression and the tears sliding down his face. “What’s wrong? Is it your hip?”

Kris has spent the offseason recovering from hip surgery, a recovery that’s been slower and more frustrating than expected. Anthony hadn’t realized just how painful his hip problems had been during the season, let alone how bad it’d gotten when recovering from the surgery. But he’d thought they were on the tail end of the problems and that Kris was mostly recovered, so he really has no idea why Kris is standing in their kitchen crying.

“No, it feels fine,” Kris says, wiping his eyes. “I’m okay.”

“You’re clearly not, babe,” Anthony says, wrapping an arm around him. “Want to talk about it?”

“It’s just… I’m not going to be ready in time for spring training,” Kris sighs, leaning against him. “My goal all along was to be recovered and good to go by the beginning of spring training, but I’ve failed.”

“When do they think you’ll be able to play now?” Anthony asks.

“Maybe middle of March, but probably only the last week or so before the season starts.”

Anthony’s eyebrows shoot up. “That’s a month longer than they originally said it was going to take. Did they not give you any warning that you weren’t on schedule before now?”

“No,” Kris wipes at his eyes again. “That’s why I’m so frustrated. I thought it was all going according to plan, but now I won’t be ready in time. I definitely won’t be ready to go out there and hit major league pitching and play a full nine innings by the beginning of the season.”

“Okay, then they have you on a rehab assignment in Iowa for the first few games,” Anthony shrugs. “The important thing is that you take the time to recover fully so you don’t have any problems in the future.”

“I just want to be healthy again,” Kris says miserably. “This wasn’t supposed to affect this season.”

“It’ll only be a couple of days of it,” Anthony tries to console him. “But why’d they change the timeline? Did something go wrong?”

“It’s just not strong enough yet, or where they were hoping it would be at this point,” Kris shrugs. “I miss playing baseball.”

“I’m going to miss having you out on the field with me this next month,” Anthony says sympathetically. “But you’ll be back out there before long.” He kisses Kris gently, feeling the wetness of Kris’s tears under his fingers. He drops one of his hands to Kris’s hip, rubbing over where he knows the surgical scars are. 

“Yeah,” Kris agrees quietly, his blue eyes still bright with tears.

 

17\. As a dare

_“Hey, Rizz, truth or dare?” Fowler asks, grinning across the plane aisle at him._

_“Dare, obviously,” Rizzo smiles back. “Do you even know me?”_

_“Okay,” Dexter looks thoughtful. “Next guy who gets a walk-off hit, kiss him.”_

_“You’re on,” Anthony says cockily, drawing laughter from his assorted teammates._

“Our Rookie of the Year, right here!” Dex crows as the guys make their way back into the locker room, grabbing Kris in an affectionate headlock. “Highlight-reel clutchness from Kris fucking Bryant!”

Kris grins shyly, laughing a little when Dex ruffles his hair and lets him go. “Just doing my job.”

“By being fucking awesome and super clutch!” Wood chimes in. “Don’t sell yourself short, kid.”

Kris just smiles, heading over to his locker and taking a long drink from his water bottle. 

“Hey, you don’t get to just hide away from us,” Anthony chides him gently, hip-checking him as he makes his way to his own locker. “Come out with us tonight? I know you don’t drink, but we’ll make sure you still have fun. You can’t be the shy rookie forever.”

“Sure, I’ll go out with you all,” Kris agrees. “As long as the guys don’t give me grief about not drinking this time.”

“I’ll get them off your case for that, but I can’t guarantee there won’t be a lot of drinking in your honor,” Anthony promises as Kris turns to head for the showers. “And, hey, KB?”

“Yeah?” Kris turns back to him with a smile.

“That was a beautiful homer, by the way. And congrats on your first big league walk-off win,” Anthony plants a quick kiss on his lips, grinning involuntarily at Kris’s wide-eyed surprise. “Like I said, I’ll make sure you have fun tonight. And Dex?” he raises his voice to project across the locker room, over the snickers of their teammates. 

“Yeah?” Dex asks through his laughter.

“Didn’t think I’d follow through on the dare, did you?” Anthony asks.

“I figured if it was Kris you would,” Dex says, smiling knowingly at the two of them. 

 

18\. For the first time

From the first moment Rizzo sees Kris Bryant, he wants to kiss the guy. He’s got the prettiest blue eyes Anthony has ever seen, clear and bright and beautiful. He’s fairly shy and serious and super-focused on baseball, but his face looks like one that will absolutely light up when he smiles. He is absolutely on fire for pretty much all of spring training, but they all know that he’ll be sent down to start the season. He’s too valuable a player to lose an extra year of his contract for only a few games. Regardless, Anthony knows that he’ll be back up with the Cubs before long, unless something changes drastically. So he throws himself into getting to know Kris during spring training, hoping to help ease his transition when he finally gets to Chicago.

Kris, Anthony quickly learns, is a pretty reserved guy who takes baseball far too seriously. Spring training under Maddon is a very lighthearted and fun affair, but Bryant doesn’t seem to get into it. He’s too focused on taking BP and working on his defense and dedicating every possible second to baseball. He responds kindly enough to Anthony’s attempts at friendship, but he’s still hiding behind his detached politeness, and Anthony has no idea how to break through. So he texts the only other guy he knows who seems like he would understand Bryant.

 _Hey Captain Serious,_ he texts Jonathan Toews. _How do I get your baseball equivalent to lighten up and make friends_

 _Do baseball stuff with him,_ Jonny texts back a few hours later. _Get to know him on his terms with what he’s comfortable with. But don’t try to mess around too much during it if he’s as serious about it as it sounds_

 _Thanks,_ Anthony replies, staring at his phone in frustration. He’s been doing nothing but playing baseball with Bryant, how on earth is that supposed to suddenly change things?

 

“Hey, KB,” Rizzo calls out to him the next day when their game is over. It was a noon start, so there’s still a lot left of the day. 

“Wait, KB?” Rossy says, staring at Rizzo. “Where’s the K come from?”

“Uh, his first name?” Anthony says blankly.

“Doesn’t it start with a C?”

Kris coughs quietly. “Actually, yeah, it’s Kris with a K.”

“Well, then why haven’t you been correcting me when I call you CB?” Rossy demands.

“I thought you were just messing with me?” Kris says, looking like a dear in the headlights. It’s an unfairly adorable look on him.

Rossy throws up his hands in exasperation, muttering something about rookies as he stalks away. Kris stares after him, biting his lip. 

“Um, should I go talk to him or something?” He asks Anthony.

“Nah, Rossy’s just messing around now,” Anthony assures him. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay,” Kris says, still looking a little uncomfortable. “Why’d you call me over?”

“Oh, right!” Anthony says, having almost forgotten the origin of their exchange. “I wanted to know if you were up to go for a run with me.”

“Sure,” Kris agrees quickly, his blue eyes brightening. Anthony mentally fist pumps in excitement. Kris had shot down all his invitations to get food or do something fun - very politely, of course - so apparently Tazer was right and baseball-related activities were the way to go. “Right now?”

“What better time than the present?”

“Okay, let me just put my running shoes on,” Bryant says, unlacing his spikes to change his shoes. 

 

“So, are you a ‘run in silence’ guy or a ‘chat while you run’ guy?” Anthony asks when they hit the trails a few minutes later. 

“Depends on how much I’m going to push myself,” Kris says. “How far are we going today?”

“I figured just three or four miles, if that works for you?” Anthony suggests, speeding up slightly to match Kris’s pace.

“Yeah, that sounds good. At this pace, I’ll talk while I run,” Kris says.

“So, favorite football team?” Anthony asks, deciding to start out on light topics so he doesn’t scare Bryant off.

“Didn’t really have one,” Kris shrugs. “There’s no team in Vegas, so it wasn’t really my thing.”

“Did you have a favorite baseball team growing up?” 

“Probably the Red Sox because of my dad, but I also watched the Cubs on WGN,” Kris replies, finally seeming to loosen up a little bit.

 

Their runs together become daily occurrences for the rest of spring training, even if it’s sometimes just a quick mile before they start their real work for the day. The more time they spend together, the more Kris comes out of his shell, sometimes even initiating their conversations himself. As he gets more comfortable with Anthony, he also seems more comfortable in the clubhouse in general, actually starting to speak up and smile a little. And of course, Kris is fantastic in every way on the baseball field. His defense is improving and he’s absolutely raking at the plate. Anthony can’t wait until he gets called up, because he just knows they’re going to play beautiful baseball together. 

For all Kris’s talents, it’s not exactly a surprise when he gets sent down to start the season. Anthony knows Theo is playing the long game, knows that Kris knows it too, but it’s still hard to see the carefully-masked disappointment and frustration in his bright eyes. When Kris cleans out his locker, Anthony walks over to give him a hug.

“Hey, I’ll see you in Chicago soon,” Anthony tells Kris, giving him a sympathetic smile.

“Yeah, sure,” Kris mutters.

“Seriously,” Anthony insists. “You know this is just because you’re so good that they want you under contract for another year. You’re going to be up as soon as possible, and you won’t go back down.”

“Okay,” Kris nods, managing an unconvincing smile. “I’ll see you.”

“Soon!” Anthony gives him another quick hug. “I’ll miss playing with you.”

“Likewise,” Kris says, grabbing his bag and turning to go. Anthony watches him leave, wishing that baseball wasn’t such an unforgiving business at times.

 

Just as they’d all predicted, Kris is up before the month of April is out. Anthony is excited to see that Kris has been assigned the locker right next to his, but he’s even more excited just to see Kris again.

“Hey, it’s the Rookie of the Year!” Rossy announces when Kris walks in. Kris just laughs, heading over to accept Rossy’s bear hug. Anthony smiles, enjoying that Kris has retained his lightness from the end of spring training. 

“I haven’t done anything yet,” Kris protests, but he’s still smiling.

“Yeah, but you will,” Anthony says, walking over to join them. “All it’ll take is one look at your pretty-boy eyes and all the pitchers will throw you a meatball right over the plate, so you’ll be hitting homers every game.”

“I’m sure,” Kris shakes his head in amusement. Anthony takes the opportunity to drag both Rossy and Kris into a hug. 

“Y’all ready to kick ass together and remind Chicago what it’s like to have a champion baseball team?” he asks. “And no, the White Sox don’t count.”

“Hell yeah I am,” Rossy ruffles Kris’s hair and pats Anthony on the head. “But that means you need to leave me alone so I can get ready for this game, so later, guys. Good to have you up here, CB.”

“It’s KB!” Kris calls after him, trying to hide a smile. 

“You’re learning,” Anthony tells him affectionately. “We’ll make a major leaguer out of you yet.”

 

Kris’s struggles about his performance at the plate, however, are not what Anthony anticipated when Kris got called up. Kris’s homers in spring training were constant and beautiful, but he hasn’t been getting many extra base hits, and his strikeout rate is rather high. Kris keeps a chipper attitude on the outside, but Anthony can see him retreating back into the shyer guy that first showed up at spring training. When he tries to talk to him, though, Kris just shrugs it off and says he’s fine with it, that he’s just trying too hard and needs to settle down into himself. It drives Anthony nuts, because Kris is hitting well and taking a good number of walks, he’s just not hitting for power. They all know it’s going to happen, but Kris still seems to doubt himself.

Then, after a few very up and down games, they’re down by two runs in Milwaukee early on. It’s a big opportunity for Kris, with two on and one out, and Anthony is really hoping that Kris can come through. When he sees Kris’s sweet swing, he knows immediately that the ball is going out. Kris grins as he trots the bases, looking immediately like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. Anthony watches the dugout empty out of the corner of his eye, grinning and giving Kris a high five as he passes him before taking a last swing and stepping to the plate himself.

They lose, of course, but Kris doesn’t seem as down as he usually does after a loss as they head off the field. Pretty much all the reporters head for the pitchers and for Kris, so Anthony takes the opportunity to track down the poor intern who had been in charge of getting Kris’s home run ball. The woman thanks him for finding him, handing him the ball, tagged with a post it labeled ‘KB #17 HR#1.’ Anthony heads back to the locker room triumphantly, unsurprised to find most of the team is gone already. Lester claps him on the arm as he heads out of the room, jerking his head at Kris, who is still sitting in his locker, staring down at his bat.

“You expecting it to transform into something?” Anthony asks lightly as he sits down in his own locker next to Kris. 

“What?” Kris asks, looking up in surprise. “Oh, I don’t know. Just thinking about the game. Wish I could’ve done more.”

“You scored almost all of our runs today,” Anthony reminds him. “It’s not all on you, Kris. Today the pitching just didn’t have it, but we’ll get them tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Kris sighs. “Hey, where’d you go? You kinda disappeared for awhile.”

“To find this,” Anthony pulls out the baseball, passing it to Kris. 

“Is this my home run ball?” Kris asks, his brilliant smile breaking out over his face. “You’re the best, Rizz!”

“Anything for my favorite guy,” Anthony says, gratified at Kris’s joy. 

“Seriously, this is so sweet of you,” Kris says, tucking the ball carefully into his bag and standing up so he can go over and hug Anthony. Anthony gets up so he can fully return Kris’s hug, pulling him in tight against him. Anthony looks up, into Kris’s bright blue eyes, and feels a wave of affection run through him. 

“Kris,” he says quietly, noting that the locker room around them is empty. This is a risk, but he trusts Kris completely already. “I want to kiss you.”

Kris’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, but his smile doesn’t disappear. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Anthony asks. “What does that mean?”

“It means okay,” Kris repeats. “It means that I’d also like to kiss you.”

“Okay,” Anthony says, smiling. Kris leans in, gently pressing chapped lips against Anthony's own.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm open to the idea of writing more extended versions of some of these, so if anyone has any interest in that, drop a comment and I'll see what I can do!
> 
> Comments and kudos make me very happy, so please let me know if you enjoyed this!


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